Specimens obtained directly from the middle ear under direct vision from 40 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) were investigated quantitatively and qualitatively for aerobes and anaerobes. Twenty one of the 40 specimens yielded aerobes only, 17 yielded a mixed flora of anaerobes and aerobes while only one yielded anaerobes only and the remaining one was sterile. Bacteroides fragilis was the commonest anaerobe and the second single most common bacteria generally present in CSOM. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were the dominant aerobic flora appearing in 17 and 14 out of 40 specimens respectively. All pathogens isolated were present in very high counts averaging 10(8) ml of the exudate. The use of systemic anti-anaerobic drug combined with an anti-aerobic drug is worthy of a clinical trial.


More than 150 participants from 25 countries gathered in Stockholm during 25th to 27th Sept 2009 to attend the meeting "TRP channels: from sensory signaling to human disease" and enjoyed an international, intensive and vibrant meeting. This meeting shed lights on the recent advances made in this field of research in different sectors of biology, and identified directions for future research and the areas where TRP channels could be used as potential targets for prevention and treatment of human diseases. The participants of this meeting shared their recent largely unpublished data, state-of-the-art techniques and their critical views which would push research in this field forward in the new decade. Another major outcome of this meeting was the realization that extensive work remains to be done to develop the necessary tools and enhance the quality of research in this area so that the prevailing controversies can be resolved. In this report we summarize the latest scientific excitements, some critical issues, as well as some future directions for research that were addressed and discussed in this meeting.


This essay was inspired by Mark Jones' monograph Founding Weimar. Violence and the German Revolution of 1918–1919 (2016). The first section of the essay highlights the relevance of this book for historical research on the revolution of 1918/19. Its second section discusses relevant reviews of the monograph. The third and fourth sections focus on how different political movements, as well as the views of historians on the revolution of 1918/19, have changed within the past hundred years. Nowadays, critical historical research on the revolution has to focus on new questions. Since the outbreak of the present global economic crisis, the capitalist order has been in question. Alternative left-wing economic orders as they were developed by the German Ratebewegung (worker's council movement) in 1918/19 should be discussed from a new perspective. Due to the global economic crisis, right-wing movements have gained more influence over the last decade. Parliamentary democracies are progressively eroding. Jones' book is in contrast to the current academic discourse. This last can be considered to be in crisis, as it displays a limited understanding of the revolution of 1918/19 by merely regarding it as part of the success story of the Weimar Republic. Jones highlights the escalation of violence and the role proto-fascist Freikorps played as the initiators of this escalation. He also considers the political responsibility of the Social Democratic Party. Jones concludes that counter-revolutionary violence caused the founding as well the end of the Weimar Republic.


Abstract Objectives We examined the association between adherence to EAT-Lancet diet, a diet with human health and environmental sustainability, and the prevalence of hypertension among Filipino immigrant women in Korea. Methods We included a total of 484 Filipino women aged 34–57 in the Filipino Women's Diet and Health Study (FiLWHEL). Participants' dietary intakes were assessed using the 24-hour recalls in 2014–2016. The EAT-Lancet diet index scores were calculated using the methods used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Oxford study (EAT-Lancet EPIC) and Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort Study (EAT-Lancet Malmö). Blood pressures were measured twice by a sphygmomanometer, and two readings were averaged. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg or by taking antihypertensive medication. We calculated odds ratio (OR)s and 95% confidence interval (CI)s using the multivariate logistic regression models. Results A total of 86 hypertensive women were identified. For the EAT-Lancet EPIC index, compared with the 1st tertile, ORs (95% CIs) for hypertension were 1.03(0.52–2.06) for the 2nd tertile and 0.61 (0.30–1.22) for the 3rd tertile (p-trend = 0.17). For the EAT-Lancet Malmö index, compared with the 1st tertile, ORs (95% CIs) for hypertension were 0.44 (0.21–0.89) for the 2nd tertile and 0.77(0.37–1.60) for the 3rd tertile (p for trend = 0.55). Conclusions Adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet may be associated with a lower prevalence of hypertension among immigrant Filipino women in Korea. Further prospective and intervention studies are warranted to determine the role of a sustainable EAT-Lancet diet in hypertension prevention. Funding Sources This study was made possible with the support of our funding agencies: Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Chong Kun Dang Pharm., Handok Inc., and Yuhan Corporation, Seoul, Korea.


The ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex nonlinear refractive index has been measured by transient two-wave mixing in acridine-orange-doped fluorophosphate glass, fluorescein-doped boric-acid glass, and ruby at argon-ion wavelengths. The method enables the individual signs of the components of the nonlinear index to be obtained. A simple theory based on a single homogeneously broadened absorption from the ground state agrees with measurements of the phase of the nonlinear index in acridine but not in fluorescein, where our data suggest that excited-state absorption plays an important role.


We use the evidence on predictability of returns at diff erent horizons to discriminate among competing asset pricing models. Specifically, we employ predictors-based variance bounds, i.e. bounds on the variance of the Stochastic Discount Factors (SDFs) that price a given set of returns conditional on the information contained in a vector of return predictors. We show that return predictability delivers variance bounds that are much tighter than the classical, unconditional Hansen and Jagannathan (1991) bounds. We use the predictors-based bounds to discriminate among three leading classes of asset pricing models: rare disasters, long-run risks and external habit. We find that the rare disasters model of Nakamura, Steinsson, Barro, and Ursua (2013) is the best performer since it satisfies rather comfortably the predictors-based bounds at all horizons. As for long-run risks, while the classical version of Bansal and Yaron (2004) is the model most challenged by the introduction of conditioning information since it struggles to meet the bounds at all horizons, the more general version of Schorfheide, Song, and Yaron (2016), which accounts for multiple volatility components, satisfies the 1- and 5-year bounds as long as the set of test assets includes only equities and T-Bills. The Campbell and Cochrane (1999) habit model lies somehow in the middle: it performs quite well at our longest 5-year horizon while it struggles at the 1-year horizon. Finally, when the set of test assets is augmented with Treasury Bonds, the only model that is able to satisfy the predictors-based bounds is the rare disasters model


Protected Geographic Indicators (PGI) and Product Differentiation of Origination (PDO) are products that are linked to certain regions or countries that define them based on where they are produced, prepared and/or packaged before they are sold. However, the exact interpretation of PGI/PDOs is not synonymous around the world, leading to disputes over trade barriers between nations. The goal of this paper is to discuss the quality and safety control issues that go into the production of PGI/PDOs as well as trade regulations that are currently being discussed at the World Trade Organization's Doha multilateral trade agreements meetings. A comparison of how countries mark PGI/PDO products is made by comparing two cheese industries: Wisconsin Cheddar from the United States and Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy. In theory, the World Trade Organization has a product labeling agreement that was created in 1979 under the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. However, as is most common, problems arise when countries begin to use their own forms of labeling, therefore resulting in barriers of trade between countries (WTO). Due to diverse thought among producers in different countries, there are often incentives that lead to different product labeling.


Density models are a popular tool for building classifiers. When using density models to build a classifier, one typically learns a separate density model for each class of interest. These density models are then combined to make a classifier through the use of Bayes' rule utilizing the prior distribution over the classes. In this paper, we provide a discriminative method for choosing among alternative density models for each class to improve classification accuracy.


Novel phosphors BaGd2Si3O10:RE2+/3+ (RE = Eu or Ce) were designed and prepared by a solid state reaction. The crystal structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction. The optical band gap was estimated by the diffuse reflectance spectrum. The photoluminescence properties were investigated and the results indicate that under ultraviolet light excitation, BaGd2Si3O10:Eu3+, BaGd2Si3O10:Eu2+ and BaGd2Si3O10:Ce3+ phosphors show red, green and blue emission, respectively. The trichromatic emission available by doping different rare earth ions proves that BaGd2Si3O10 should be a promising host material for phosphors in white LEDs.


The geometrical structures, the electronic structures, and the NH3 adsorption properties of pure and B-doped graphene have been investigated using density-functional theory. The density of states (DOS) of pure and B-doped graphene, the adsorption configurations and the adsorption energies of NH3 adsorbed on pure and B-doped graphene, and the charge transfer between NH3 and B-doped graphene have been calculated in details. The results indicate that boron doping can enhance the DOS at the Fermi level and slightly enhance the physical adsorption of NH3 on the surface of graphene. Furthermore, the doping of boron can result in the charge redistribution of graphene, which can induce the charge transfer between NH3 and graphene and change the transport properties of graphene.


The development of respiratory failure is common among patients in intensive care units (ICU). Large data quantities from ICU patient monitoring systems make timely and comprehensive analysis by clinicians difficult but are ideal for automatic processing by machine learning algorithms. Early prediction of respiratory system failure could alert clinicians to patients at risk of respiratory failure and allow for early patient reassessment and treatment adjustment. We propose an early warning system that predicts moderate/severe respiratory failure up to 8 hours in advance. Our system was trained on HiRID-II, a data-set containing more than 60,000 admissions to a tertiary care ICU. An alarm is typically triggered several hours before the beginning of respiratory failure. Our system outperforms a clinical baseline mimicking traditional clinical decision-making based on pulse-oximetric oxygen saturation and the fraction of inspired oxygen. To provide model introspection and diagnostics, we developed an easy-to-use web browser-based system to explore model input data and predictions visually.


Myosin Va (MyoVa) is a prime candidate for controlling actin-based organelle motion in neurons and neuroendocrine cells. Its function in secretory granule (SG) trafficking was investigated in enterochromaffin cells by wide-field and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. The distribution of endogenous MyoVa partially overlapped with SGs and microtubules. Impairing MyoVa function by means of a truncated construct (MyoVa tail) or RNA interference prevented the formation of SG-rich regions at the cell periphery and reduced SG density in the subplasmalemmal region. Individual SG trajectories were tracked to analyze SG mobility. A wide distribution of their diffusion coefficient, Dxy, was observed. Almost immobile SGs (Dxy < 5 × 10−4 μm2 · s−1) were considered as docked at the plasma membrane based on two properties: (1) SGs that undergo exocytosis have a Dxy below this threshold value for at least 2 s before fusion; (2) a negative autocorrelation of the vertical motion was found in subtrajectories with a Dxy below the threshold. Using this criterion of docking, we found that the main effect of MyoVa inhibition was to reduce the number of docked granules, leading to reduced secretory responses. Surprisingly, this reduction was not attributable to a decreased transport of SGs toward release sites. In contrast, MyoVa silencing reduced the occurrence of long-lasting, but not short-lasting, docking periods. We thus propose that, despite its known motor activity, MyoVa directly mediates stable attachment of SGs at the plasma membrane.


ABSTRACT Basic algebra at Robert Morris College (RMC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a remedial course for students with virtually no algebra background, and for students whose previous experiences with algebra have created math blocks and math anxiety. A study was conducted in an effort to measure quantitatively the benefits of using linguistic methods in the teaching of basic algebra. A control group of 52 students were taught with the same methods and techniques that the instructor had been using for more than 25 years, while an experimental group of 52 students were taught with a course design that incorporated writing-to-learn and speaking strategies. Students in the experimental group were instructed that for any problem involving more than one step, an order of operations had to be followed. Students were required to write and talk about this step-by-step precedure. Before each test, students had to submit step-by-step written procedures for each kind of problem they were to encounter on the test. The instructor separated students' pre-test writing into two groups: those steps written perfectly or nearly so, and all others. Test scores showed marked parallels to the clarity of pre-test writing. When students were informed of the correlation between their pre-test writing and test performance, they grew increasingly enthusiastic about writing throughout the remainder of the course. The control group completed the course with a mean average of 74.5%, while the experimental group averaged 77.7%. In written course evaluations, all 52 experimental subjects were positive about tne usefulness of the writing assignments, including the 8 students who did not pass the course. (PAA)


Concerns have been voiced in recent years about the widespread use of U.S.-dominated journal rankings in business schools. Such practice is seen to have the effect of spreading globally a U.S.-style scholarly monoculture and reconstituting other forms of scholarship as marginal and inferior. In this essay, we explore the ways in which the English language is implicated in these processes. Drawing on language-sensitive studies of academic work and our own experiences as nonnative speakers of English, we argue that the use of U.S.-dominated rankings is not just hierarchizing and homogenizing the global field of management but also contributing to its Englishization. This, we contend, furthers the homogenization of the field while also producing significant language-based inequalities and inducing demanding quasi-colonial forms of identity work by those being Englishized.


Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common cause of morbidity among patients supported by left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). The aim of this study was to identify if pre-LVAD right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with risk of GIB after LVAD implantation. Of 398 patients implanted with LVADs between July 2008 and July 2016, 130 (33%) developed GIB at a median of 2.6 months following LVAD implantation. Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) were found in 42 (34%) GIB patients. Patients with GIB were older and more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, and ischemic cardiomyopathy. On pre-LVAD echocardiography, GIB patients had increased RV diastolic dimension (4.7 ± 0.8 vs. 4.4 ± 0.9 cm, p = 0.02), a higher rate of greater than mild tricuspid valve (TV) regurgitation (73 [60%] vs. 120 [47%], p = 0.006), and underwent TV repair more often (38 [30%] vs. 43 [16%], p = 0.0006) during LVAD implantation. After multivariable adjustment, preoperative greater than mild RV enlargement (hazard ratio [HR] 2.32, 95% CI 1.12-5.03; p = 0.03), TV regurgitation (HR 1.83, CI 1.02-3.44; p = 0.01), and TV repair (HR 3.76, confidence interval [CI] 1.02-4.44; p = 0.01) remained associated with risk of GIB. This finding was driven by the AVM-GIB subgroup. Preoperative RV enlargement and TV regurgitation are associated with post-LVAD AVM-related GIB.


The preparation of layered magnets needs the knowledge of growth techniques which are focused on the growth of Fe/V(001) superlattices. Such films have been structurally investigated by X-rays reflectivity and diffraction. The magnetic investigations have been carried out by magneto-optic Kerr effect (MOKE), Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometry and polarized neutron reflectivity (PNR). This latter technique has been used in cooperation with the Institute Laue Langvin (Grenoble, France) and Ruhr Universitat (Bochum, Germany). The cross-over in universality class is shown in a series of layered magnets where a δ-doping layer of Fe has been embedded between two layers of Pd showing that the magnetization depends on the effective magnetic thickness of the polarized Pd. A model for the cross-over has been developed in terms of magnetic excitations. The interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) mediated by a non-magnetic spacer has been reviewed focusing the attention on the recent theoretical and experimental works based on Fe/V(001) superlattices. The IEC can be tailored at will by reversibly alloying of the spacer with H: this has been proved in Fe/V(001) double layers showing that in the two dimensional limit, the universality class is not affected by the coupling. The magnetic order-disorder transitions in Fe/V(001) superlattices do not seem to belong to any universality class. A phenomenological model which accounts for the effective coupling at the boundaries has been developed. The influence of the inherent ordering temperatures of single magnetic layers has been investigated in Fe/V(001) superlattices proving that the weakest ferromagnetic layer affects the overall magnetic ordering. A new kind of layered magnet has been developed to increase the effect of the boundaries. PNR measurements show that the universality class depends on which length-scale is investigated.


Background
Interprofessional education (IPE) is a curricular requirement for all healthcare professional education standards. To foster learning about, from and with each other, consistent with the Interprofessional Education Consortium's Core Competencies, many graduate schools are integrating interprofessional (IP) simulation experiences throughout their educational curricula, providing multiple opportunities for health professional students to collaborate and practice together. High-fidelity, real-time simulations help students from diverse professional backgrounds to apply their classroom learning in realistic clinical situations, utilize mobile technology to access clinical decision support (CDS) software, and receive feedback in a safe setting, ensuring they are practice-ready upon graduation.

Methods
New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing (NYU) and Long Island University College of Pharmacy (LIU) partnered for two consecutive years to create, coordinate and implement two interprofessional educational simulations involving patients with chronic cardiovascular disease. A utilization-focused evaluation of high-fidelity, simulation-enhanced IPE (Sim-IPE) was implemented to assess students' IP competencies before and after their participation in the IPE-simulation and their overall satisfaction with the experience. The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS), a reliable instrument, was administered to both doctor of pharmacy students and primary care advanced practice nursing students before and after each simulation experience. Additionally, student satisfaction surveys were administered following the IPE-simulation.

Results
Aggregated means revealed statistically significant improvements in each of the six domains including communication, collaboration, roles and responsibilities, collaborative patient/family approach, conflict resolution and team functioning. Student ratings revealed positive experiences with the IPE-simulations.

Conclusions
High-fidelity, real-time IPE-simulation is a powerful pedagogy to help graduate students from different professional backgrounds practice applying IP competencies in simulated experiences. Quality improvement studies and research studies are needed to assess the impact of high-fidelity, real-time simulations throughout graduate curricula with different types of patients to improve coordinated, team approaches to treatment.


Over the past several decades, service-learning programs have proliferated at colleges and universities, gaining broad support for their incorporation of critical reflection, academic learning, and volunteer work. The stated objective of these programs is transformation, both for students personally and for the communities with which they engage in terms of resources and justice. Through a case study of Fordham University's Global Outreach program, though, I demonstrate that, by positing the emotion empathy as the most productive mechanism through which to radically transform oneself and set off a ripple of social change, university administrators and educators avoid actual structural transformation and instead obscure how service-learning often reaffirms hierarchical and postcolonial relations. I argue that by historicizing the concept of empathy—by identifying similar rhetorical devices deployed within service-learning programs in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries, colonial legacies of Christian missionary work across time, and the nineteenth-century movement for the abolition of slavery—we can better understand the rise of service-learning programs, especially within Jesuit universities, and their promotion of direct encounters with racialized others as the premier mode of gathering authentic and real 'knowledge that can lead to change. The focus on affective relations between individuals within service learning, I argue, carries forward dynamics that obscure rather than elucidate and attempt to change relations of power that depend on the continuation of systemic, racialized inequities.


In Petri net synthesis we ask whether a given transition system A can be implemented by a Petri net N. Depending on the level of accuracy, there are three ways how N can implement A: an embedding, the least accurate implementation, preserves only the diversity of states of A; a language simulation already preserves exactly the language of A; a realization, the most accurate implementation, realizes the behavior of A exactly. However, whatever the sought implementation, a corresponding net does not always exist. In this case, it was suggested to modify the input behavior – of course as little as possible. Since transition systems consist of states, events and edges, these components appear as a natural choice for modifications. In this paper we show that the task of converting an unimplementable transition system into an implementable one by removing as few states or events or edges as possible is NP-complete –regardless of what type of implementation we are aiming for; we also show that the corresponding parameterized problems are W[2]-hard, where the number of removed components is considered as the parameter; finally, we show there is no c-approximation algorithm (with a polynomial running time) for neither of these problems, for every constant c ≥ 1.


In the field of optical three-dimension (3-D) measurement, reconstruction usually is completed by the integration of a two-dimensional (2-D) gradient data set. Position and posture of camera and shape of the surface under test determine the location of gradient data which usually is on quadrilateral grids. This paper proposes a B-spline surface-based 3D reconstruction method for deflectometry, which reconstructs the surface under test with its 2-D gradient data set. The 2-D gradient data set consists of gradient data and the 2-D location of the gradient data in the camera coordinate system. The 2-D gradient data set is first transferred to the cameras' virtual image plane, so it locates on rectangular grids. Then, based on the properties of the B-spline basis function and characteristics of the camera, linear equations are derived to solve control points along the virtual image plane. The solved control points reconstruct the surface under test in the camera coordinate system. The property of the B-spline basis function determines the relationship between the depth of the surface and its derivative. The characteristic of the camera determines the relationship between the depth of the surface and the 2-D location of the gradient data. Meanwhile, the accuracy of the 2-D location can also be improved by the linear equations. Finally, simulated and actual experiments show that the proposed method is accurate and efficient at reconstructing surfaces in deflectometry.


We present GraphUnit, a framework and online service that automates the process of designing, running and analyzing results of controlled user studies of graph visualizations by leveraging crowdsourcing and a set of evaluation modules based on a graph task taxonomy. User studies play an important role in visualization research but conducting them requires expertise and is time consuming. GraphUnit simplifies the evaluation process by allowing visualization designers to easily configure user studies for their web‐based graph visualizations, deploy them online, use Mechanical Turk to attract participants, collect user responses and store them in a database, and analyze incoming results automatically using appropriate statistical tools and graphs. We demonstrate the effectiveness of GraphUnit by replicating two published evaluation studies on network visualization, and showing that these studies could be configured in less than an hour. Finally, we discuss how GraphUnit can facilitate quick evaluations of alternative graph designs and thus encourage the frequent use of user studies to evaluate design decisions in iterative development processes.


The issue of an ultimate size limit of a surface plasmon polariton (SSP) nanolaser is investigated by a systematic simulation study. We consider a prototypic design of a metal-insulator-semiconductor multi-layer structure with finite, varying lateral sizes. Our focus is on the design of such lasers operating at room temperature under the electrical injection. We find that there is an interesting interplay between the facet loss and the SPP propagation loss and that such interplay leads to the existence of a minimum-threshold mode in each mode group. The red-shift of the minimum-threshold mode with the decrease of device thickness leads to a further reduction of threshold gain, making the threshold for the SPP nanolaser achievable for many semiconductors, even at room temperature. In addition, we find that the threshold can be further reduced by using thinner metal cladding without much exacerbated mode leakage. Finally, a specific design example is optimized using Al0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As single quantum well sandwiched between silver layers, which has a physical volume of 1.5 × 10-4λ03, potentially the smallest semiconductor nanolasers designed or demonstrated so far.


Thought and commentary surrounding the upsurge of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and their involvement in the design and implementation of development in the Global South are accompanied by an unrelenting set of contradictions and self-replicating inconsistencies. These are often embedded in the sector's nomenclature, ideological underpinnings, intent and impact. Opposing bands of scholarship have sustained these tensions by securing NGOs both within the ambit of developmental thought and practice and also within the criticisms waged against western domination and its splinter models of modernity. In an attempt to extend these prevailing annotations, this paper holds the idealisation of NGOs up to scrutinous reflection within the context of Makhanda's inequitable educational landscape by proposing that, in order to balance organisational uncertainties with the socio-economic urgencies upon which they trade, NGOs sustain several and, at times, competing affiliations all of which are central to organisational preservation and legitimacy. The tactical means by which organisations preserve these allegiances often deputise socio-economic and educational overhaul in favour of survival. Therefore, this article lays out the ways in which organisational urgencies intersect with contextually specific needs of reform in what becomes a zero sum of philanthropy and survival; this to the extent that, in large part, NGO interventions often serve to moderate, rather than uproot, the set of socio-economic features for which non-state intervention continues to be hailed and hallowed.


We develop a game-theoretic framework to investigate the competitive implications of consumer-to-consumer electronic marketplaces, which promote concurrent selling of new and used goods. In many e-marketplaces, where suppliers cannot directly use second-hand goods for practicing inter-temporal price discrimination, the threat of cannibalization of new goods by used goods become significant. We examine conditions under which it is optimal for suppliers to operate in such markets, explaining why used-goods markets may not be predatory for them. While a monopolist supplier is worse off in the presence of a secondary market, competition can in fact make it better off. The presence of used-goods markets provides an active outlet for some consumers to sell their second-hand goods. Such sales lead to an increase in their disposable income. This increased income can then be used to buy an additional new good. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our model predicts the reduction in the price of new goods when there are used-goods markets. We highlight the strategic role that used goods commission plays in determining optimal profits. Overall, for a wide range of parameters, there is an increase in social welfare from establishing such secondary markets.


The author surveys algorithms that focus on special classes of predicates to observe global properties in distributed systems. This abstraction is key to efficient debugging and fault tolerance. The algorithms are also flexible, allowing for optimizations to fit application needs. For example, algorithms to detect general predicates can be optimized by exploiting specific properties of the channel predicate. In checking if a channel is empty, it may be sufficient to deal with the number of messages only, rather than the message themselves.


The death of President Niyazov in December 2006 has opened a window for engagement between the EU and Turkmenistan. Prior to this, Turkmenistan could fairly be described as a 'sultanistic regime' isolated from the wider world. This paper by Dr. Michael Denison, professor in the School of Politics and International Studies, University of Leeds was originally presented at CEPS conference on 'Building Stronger Ties, meeting New Challenges: The European Union's Strategic Role in Central Asia.' In it Professor Denison sketches the historical political landscape, considers the likelihood of Turkmenistan diversifying its natural gas export options and concludes with 15 clear recommendations for the EU to deepen its engagement with Turkmenistan.


In this study a conventional shaper machine has been converted into a controlled cutting test rig. A specially designed tool holder was attached to the actuating arm of the shaper machine. This tool holder constrained a small group of handsaw teeth designed to machine a groove followed by an adjustable single tooth that machined a specified depth of cut. A work-piece dynamometer was attached to the platform of the shaper machine. The three force transducers that compose the dynamometer were used to measure resultant cutting, thrust and side forces in the relative X, Y and Z axes. These are measured as the single tooth passes through the work-piece. In addition to force measurement, a high speed video camera was utilised to capture footage of the chip/surface formation where the tooth interacts with the wood work-piece. The recorded forces and captured footage of chip formation validate published findings that machining along the wood grain is a shearing process and machining across wood the grain is a bending process.


Deafness is the most prevalent sensory system impairment in human, about 70 % of genetic deafness belongs to nonsyndromic hearing impairment. It was estimated that the total number of genes involved in nonsyndromic hereditary deafness was over 100. So far, approximate 80 loci have been mapped to human chromosome, and 23 genes have been identified. In this paper, a family with nonsyndromic hearing impairment caused by intermarry was reported. There were 13 sufferers in two generations. Deduced from genetic analysis, neither autosomal dominant nor autosomal recessive inheritance was identified in this family, which suggested that hearing impairment in the family was probably caused by mitochondrial mutations.


This paper deals with the application of systems thinking & design principles in healthcare in India. In a unique trans-disciplinary experiment, a team of product design students & professors worked with doctors, healthcare providers & engineers to apply systems thinking to the complex problem of maternal mortality in Indian society. Several new methods & frameworks were developed through the project, resulting in practical development of unique product solutions. In this paper, we attempt to illustrate the process of inquiry, application of systems thinking, development of the systems relationship model & design interventions thereby illustrating the need and efficacy of systems thinking.
Maternal mortality is defined as the death of a pregnant woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the cause of death, measure per 100,000 live births. This problem is profound in developing nations with lax medical facilities. The Millennium Development Goals 5 adopted by nations across the world seeks to improve maternal health by reducing by 75%, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio from 437 to 109 per 100,000; & achieve by 2015, universal access to reproductive health. Present estimates available from Sample Registration System (SRS) based studies state that the national MMR level has come down from 327 per 100,000 live births in 1999-2001 to 212 per 100,000 live births in 2007-09, registering a decline of 35.2% over a span of eight years.This project demonstrates the efficacy and a strong need for the application of systems thinking in complex socio-economic situations. While domain experts propose solutions, it is often inadequate, in isolation as the complex inter-relationships are ignored. Systems' thinking promises a highly effective approach that binds multidisciplinary teams to analyse, design and implement solutions from a holistic perspective, which would result in solutions that are truly effective.


abstract:It is widely accepted that a major historic pathway to agriculture in the tropics has been via the management of forest and reliance on tree resources. Using ethnographic and ethnobotanical data from Seram in the Moluccas, this article illustrates how this might have happened in one part of Island Southeast Asia. Several species of the genus Canarium produce proteinaceous nuts that have been ethnographically, historically, and prehistorically shown to be an important part of local diets. To understand how food-procurement systems evolve, we need to examine the biocultural dynamic established over the long term between different species, types of arboriculture, and cultivation strategies. One factor was likely subsistence pressure, but exchange has also been an important driver in relation to procurement of Canarium in particular and to the modification of forest landscapes more generally, hence the term "landscapes of exchange." While theorists tend to assume dietary need is the main cause of agricultural change, the social and ritual significance of particular species often drives ecological and genetic change in anthropic contexts.


A number of educational reforms were initiated in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2006. Abu Dhabi spearheaded these reforms by setting up the Public Private Partnership (PPP) School Improvement Project in 2006. In cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), the Ministry of Education (MOE) engaged private education providers to share international best practices and improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools across the emirate of Abu Dhabi (Thorne, 2011). In 2007, Dubai launched Madares Al Ghad (Schools of Tomorrow) in collaboration with the MOE, and fortyfour schools across the Emirates were targeted for training, professional development, and reform (Farah & Ridge, 2009). The primary goal was a move from rote learning to learner-centered education by employing a new curriculum, assessment framework, and teaching methodology. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi assumed executive functions in Ras Al Khaimah in 2003. Part of his vision for developing the emirate was to boost the quality of higher education through cooperation with top American institutions. In collaboration with the MOE, the foundation he established, the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, supported a number of research and capacity development projects that explored the current state of education in Ras Al Khaimah schools. One of the projects involved creating a teachers network whereby teachers were taught how to use an online platform to openly discuss ways to improve teaching in the emirate. In line with this initiative, international research has shown that teachers' active support is of crucial importance if large-scale education reform is to be implemented effectively (Senge, 1999). For that reason, a detailed investigation of the teachers' perceptions related to education reforms in Ras Al Khaimah is valuable and guides this study. This study was designed to provide insight into teachers' views of the education reforms in schools in the Ras Al Khaimah Education Zone and includes an analysis of what they perceive would make the reforms more effective. In Phase 1 of the study, 96 teachers from middle and secondary state girls' schools were interviewed and surveyed about their beliefs regarding educational reforms in Ras Al Khaimah. Out of the teachers interviewed, 72 were Emirati and 24 were of non-Emirati Arab nationality. Based on the results from Phase 1, relevant themes were identified for further investigation in Phase 2. The second phase used structured interviews to explore the views of a smaller sample of 20 teachers in greater depth. The results revealed a general consensus that the reforms were largely positive, but some of the teachers were critical of how they were being implemented. A thematic map outlining the issues raised by the teachers in relation to the reforms was produced, and recommendations were given to the Education Zone based on these findings.


Real-time monitoring of various components of a railcar such as wheel bearing temperature, brake line status, integrity of transported goods and many more has become a key focus area of research for the North American freight railroad industry. The ability for timely detection of abnormalities and impending failures prevents costly accidents, the potential loss of life and damage to the environment. Monitoring also increases overall operational efficiency, reliability and safety of freight railroads.Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are an obvious choice for implementing such a monitoring scheme. The accumulated data from various sensors distributed throughout each railcar along the length of the train is transmitted wirelessly using multi-hop transmissions to the locomotive for alerting and monitoring. From there, this information is also transmitted to dispatch centers for further analysis and recording. ZigBee technology based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard is a popular choice among WSN communication protocols, owing to its low cost and low power requirements. ZigBee performance degrades severely in the long chain-like topology characteristic of the railroad application environment. This effectively disqualifies ZigBee as a candidate technology for such railcar monitoring deployments.To overcome these issues with ZigBee deployments for freight train monitoring we developed our Hybrid Technology Networking (HTN) approach [5–7]. HTN leverages both ZigBee and Wi-Fi communication to achieve reliable communication along an entire freight train. Railcar monitoring nodes are grouped into smaller clusters, within which we utilize ZigBee for its low-power operation and report to each cluster's gateway node. The gateway nodes of all the clusters on a train communicate using Wi-Fi, to benefit from the high throughput and long communication range. This tiered architecture also results in a drastic reduction in overall hop count for end-to-end communication.In this paper we present HTNMote, a hardware platform that we are developing and employing for real-world evaluation of the HTN protocol. We also present results from our field tests of the HTNMotes at the Transportation Technology Center (TTCI) facility in Pueblo, Colorado, operated by the US Association of American Railroads (AAR). The results show that the use of HTN improves performance of the network by at least an order of magnitude compared to a ZigBee-only network. This paper details the design of our HTNMote platform, present the test setup and results, as well as conduct an in-depth analysis of the obtained results as they relate to railroad operations.© 2014 ASME


of the symptoms preceding sudden and unexpected deaths at home when these are compared with their general rate of occurrence in the child population. Since the conclusions of the study are based on these findings some independent assessment of their reliability is desirable. The conclusion of this paper is that the prevention of cot deaths is dependent firstly on the recognition by parents ofthe significance of certain non-specific symptoms and on their decision to involve the primary care services, and secondly on the efficacy of medical intervention at this stage. Consideration does not appear to have been given to the difficulties that will face parents who are asked to undertake such close surveillance of their children or the anxieties that this is likely to cause; nor has any estimate been made of the presumably very large proportion of cases in which this will prove "unnecessary." Conversely, the implications of the increased work load for the primary care services has yet to be determined. Concerning intervention, the investigators recognise that the value of either hospital referral or drug therapy is at present doubtful, leaving close supervision and observation of the child at home as the only alternative. It has yet to be established what this can achieve. By the nature of the condition, sudden and unexpected death in children is an exceedingly difficult area of study, especially in its community aspects, and many of the criticisms raised here are clearly recognised by the study group and are the subject of further investigation. But because of these unresolved difficulties it would seem premature to urge the "need to improve the recognition by both doctors and parents of non-specific symptoms as markers of severe illness in young children and their understanding of the necessity for rapid and appropriate action."


Market manipulation is an illegal practice that enables a person can profit from practices that artificially raise or lower the prices of an instrument in the financial markets. Its prohibition is based on the 2003 Market Abuse Directive in the EU. The current market manipulation regime was broadly considered as a big success except for enforcement and supervisory inconsistencies in the Member States at the initial.
A review of the market manipulation regime began at the end of 2007, which became quickly incorporated into the wider EU crisis-era reform program. A number of weaknesses of current regime have been identified, which include regulatory gaps caused by the development of trading venues and financial products, regulatory gaps concerning cross-border and cross-markets manipulation (particular commodity markets), legal uncertainty as a result of various implementation, and inefficient supervision and enforcement.
On 12 June 2014, a new regulatory package of market abuse, Market Abuse Regulation and Directive on criminal sanctions for market abuse, has been adopted. And several changes will be made concerning the EU market manipulation regime. A wider scope of the regime and a new prohibition of attempted market manipulation will ensure the prevention of market manipulation at large. The AMPs will be subject to strict scrutiny of ESMA to reduce divergences in implementation. In order to enhance efficiency of supervision and enforcement, powers of national competent authorities will be strengthened, ESMA is imposed more power to settle disagreement between national regulators, and the administrative and criminal sanctioning regimes are both further harmonized.
In addition, the protection of fundamental rights is stressed by the new market manipulation regime, and some measures are provided to guarantee its realization. Further, the success EU market manipulation regime could be of significant reference to China, helping China to refine its immature regime.


Gaussian random process with a given power spectral density (PSD) function can be modeled as a sum of sinusoids (SOS), and has been widely used to simulate Rayleigh-fading communication channels. In practice, a finite number of sinusoids can be used to approximate a Gaussian process, which reduces complexity. For this reason, the method of sum of sinusoids (SOS) to simulate fading channel has been extensively investigated (W.C. Jakes, 1974) (A. Papoulis, 1991) (M. Patzold et al., 1996) (G. Pollini, 1996). In M. Patzold (1998), the method of SOS is studied in more detail and several approaches to determining the sinusoidal frequencies are developed. The very popular Jakes' channel simulation model calculates the frequencies of the sinusoids based on a physical channel model with uniformly distributed scatterers around a circle. The conventional one-dimensional (1-D) channel model cannot capture the spatial correlation of shadowing processes. Here we develop a two-dimensional (2-D) SOS-based channel model to simulate the shadowing process.


In this work severe plastic deformation (SPD) was applied to magnesium base alloys of the Mg-Sm system (2.8-5.5 mass %Sm). These alloys are characterized by high strength at elevated temperatures and high strengthening effect during aging. SPD was performed by torsion under pressure of 4 GPa at 20 and 200°C to ε ∼ 6. SPD results in significant strengthening of the Mg-Sm alloys due to the formation of submicrocrystalline structure. In all cases SPD accelerates the solid solution decomposition upon subsequent aging. The highest strengthening can be obtained if the solution treated alloy is aged at 200°C after SPD at room temperature. The state of high strength can be also reached if the following sequence of the operations is used: solution treatment + aging at 200 °C up to maximum hardness + SPD at 20°C + aging at 200°C accompanied by Sm –rich phase precipitation in the submicrocrystalline matrix.


The objectives were to investigate the relationship between lung cancers and to determine the effects of micro-environmental and genetic manipulation on regulation of phenotypic expression. A small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell line, NCI-H69 was selected as a model for the study of heterogeneity. Two adherent sublines (H69V and H69VZ) have been isolated, and characterized, for species and lineage confirmation, and for expression of neuroendocrine markers. They have also been characterized for their growth, morphological properties, and invasiveness in vitro, radiation- and chemo-sensitivity. The cell lines have also been investigated for tumorigenicity, invasion and metastases formation in vivo. The cell lines were also investigated for c-myc expression by immunostaining. Significant morphological differences have been found in culture, between the parental and the derivative lines. While the parental line grew as densely packed free floating cellular aggregates, the sublines grew as a monolayer of epithelioid cells. Both the derivative lines either expressed very low levels or did not express neuroendocrine cell markers including L-dopa-decarboxylase, creatine kinase-BB isoenzyme, bombesin-like immunore activity, neuron specific enolase, and neurosecretory type granules, compared to the parental line. All the lines stained positively for epithelial markers. Karyotypic analysis of the derivative lines showed features of SCLC. Differences have also been observed in their growth characteristics, both in vitro and in vivo. The growth rates of both the derivative lines are faster than the parental line, with doubling times closer to non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines. In vitro invasion studies of the cell lines showed early, single cell invasion in the parental cells, while solitary invasion was absent in both the derivative lines. Both the parental and the derivative lines were tumorigenic in nude mice. The parental line was both invasive locally, and formed multiple metastatic lesions in visceral organs, while local invasion was not found in either of the derivative lines, and they were non-metastatic. Xenograft histology of all the lines revealed an anaplastic, pleomorphic and rather large cell type tumours. However, the derivative lines showed focal spindle cell morphology, and spaces filled with an amorphous material, which was alcianophilic, and some of the cells contained glycogen. These features were not found in the parental line. Therefore, it seems likely that H69 cell line contains cells of both small and non-small cell like phenotypes, suggesting a common origin for these two cell types. Further studies showed that H69 clones were able to give rise to a heterogeneous cell population similar to the parental line. These data suggest a common origin for both derivative and parental lines. Having established that phenotypic changes can occur spontaneously in H69 cells, they were also investigated further to establish whether similar phenotypic changes could be induced in these cells by micro-environmental manipulation. The cells were exposed to different chemical inducers, and investigated for various parameters as above. The specific aim was to see whether malignant cells still respond to changes in microenvironment, and if they do, whether it was possible to alter the malignant behaviour of cells by micro-environmental manipulation. Cells treated with hexamethylene bisacitamide (HMBA), dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP), and sodium butyrate (Na-But) showed cytostatic effects on cell growth in culture, changes in culture morphology, inhibition of invasion in vitro, decrease in final tumour volume in vivo, changes in tumour histology, and reduction in expression of some neuroendocrine markers e.g. L-dopa decarboxylase, suggesting that the H69 cell phenotype can be regulated be microenvironmental alterations. A NSCLC cell line (WIL) derived from an adenocarcinoma of lung was selected for the study of phenotypic expression in this group of lung cancer, caused by varying the micro-environmental influences. Growth of cells in conventional monolayer, with and without stromal interactions, was compared with the growth in a histotypic tissue culture model and xenografts in vivo. The malignant cells grown in optimum conditions (histotypic culture) also were exposed to various chemical agents, and effects on morphology both at light and electronmicroscopic level, and on the production of mucin-like glycoproteins, and immunohistochemical markers were analyzed. Cells grown on collagen in histotypic culture showed increased production of mucin-like glycoproteins and formation of surface microvilli, and intracellular mucin-like inclusions.


External habit formation explains why welfare states can be expected to exhibit increasing dependency over time through increases in the share of the population receiving welfare transfers, while the average number of hours worked decreases. Under plausible parameter values, the rate of taxation (and also the welfare expenditure share of national income) monotonically increases over time and asymptotically approaches a steady state. A positive interactive feedback loop between slow-moving external habits and welfare policies makes the extent of redistribution a "moving target". Consequently, setting arbitrary redistributive goals may never satisfy redistributional demands in future periods. At the same time, technological progress may mask the underlying dynamic effects of the welfare state.


Storage device performance prediction is a key element of self-managed storage systems. The paper explores the application of a machine learning tool, CART (classification and regression trees) models, to storage device modeling. Our approach predicts a device's performance as a function of input workloads, requiring no knowledge of the device internals. We propose two uses of CART models: one that predicts per-request response times (and then derives aggregate values); one that predicts aggregate values directly from workload characteristics. After being trained on the device in question, both provide accurate black-box models across a range of test traces from real environments. Experiments show that these models predict the average and 90th percentile response time with a relative error as low as 19%, when the training workloads are similar to the testing workloads, and interpolate well across different workloads.


Aluminum-copper alloys offer both high strength and excellent ductility suitable for a number of automotive applications to reduce vehicle weight; however, the alloys are difficult to cast because of their tendency for hot tearing. In this work, semi-solid gravity casting of an aluminum-copper alloy, B206, was conducted in constrained rod casting molds to study the feasibility of using the process to reduce or eliminate hot tearing. To demonstrate the feasibility of gravity casting of the metal slurries, a fluidity test was also conducted. Results show that the hot tearing susceptibility of the aluminum-copper B206 alloy cast in semi-solid state is lower than those cast in liquid state with high superheat temperatures. The grain size of the semi-solid cast Al-Cu samples appears to be finer than those cast in liquid state with high superheat temperatures. In addition, the metal slurries had sufficient fluidity to fill the molds even with low gravity pressures. The results suggest that semi-solid gravity casting is a feasible process to help reduce hot tearing.


The article emphasizes that the formation of civic competence of students is one of the key tasks of the New Ukrainian School. The need to form a citizen of Ukraine, for whom a democratic civil society is a center for the disclosure of his abilities and capabilities, the satisfaction of personal and public interests, is emphasized. An analysis of modern approaches to the formation of civic competence of students, in particular through the introduction of education fordemocratic citizenship (EDC) and human rights education (HRE) in the educational process of GSEI. It is noted that this is a new direction in education, which is the subject of international attention and educational strategies. EDC / HRE is based on competency, activity, personality-oriented approaches that are a priority in creating an educational environment. The peculiarity of education for democratic citizenship and human rights education is that the content, forms and methods of teaching are built in the dimension of «learning about / for / through democracy and human rights», which enriches the role of teacher and student in the learning process. The leading idea of this direction is to encourage children to become active citizens who are able to participate in shaping the future of society through the teaching of democracy and human rights. In Ukraine, the implementation of EDC / HRE is carried out thanks to the Swiss-Ukrainian project «Development of civic competencies in Ukraine» – DOCCU. It is noted that today in European countries and in our country there is experience in developing and implementing training courses on EDC / HRE, which requires dissemination and detailed study by teacherspractitioners,educational experts and scientists. The experience of introducing education for democratic citizenship (EDC) and human rights education (HRE) into the educational process of the New Ukrainian School is generalized.


In this paper, a new method has been proposed for identifying anonymous fake reviews generated by click farmers in E-commerce and improves the identification rates. Anonymous fake reviews are different from the gunuine reviews. They could be distinguished based on the credibility of users, the average daily number of evaluations, the content similarity, and the degree of word overlapping. The proposed method takes into account these 5 features to calculate the fake reviews content by constructing multivariate linear regression model, Experiments show that this prelimilnary work performed well in identifying fake reviews in Chinese E-commerce website. The extracted features are also useful to identifying the fake reviews when the reviewer's identification is not accessable.


The eruption of war in the Donbas has brought under everyone's eyes what has been evident to Ukrainian defence analysts for years: undertrained, underequipped and underfunded, the Ukrainian army would be hardly capable to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The uncertain conduct of operations and the tragic defeats suffered by the Ukrainian forces have highlighted a growing rift within the political and military leadership. A clash of civilisation has become evident within the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff. It is a clash between a Soviet-style resource management and operation planning, and a more open and horizontal approach. Against the background of a dramatically altered security environment, the modernisation of the Ukrainian army and the finalisation of the unfinished defence reforms are urgent, not only in order to guarantee the country's security, but also within the framework of the consolidation of democracy in post-Maidan Ukraine.


Every year a staggering number of unidentified shell corporations succeed in hiding perpetrators of terrorist financing, corruption and illegal arms trades, but the degree to which firms flout global identification standards remains unknown. Adopting a unique, experimental methodology, Global Shell Games attempts to unveil the sordid world of anonymous shell corporations. Posing as twenty-one different international consultants, the authors approached nearly 4,000 services in over 180 countries to discover just how easy it is to form an untraceable company. Combining rigorous quantitative analysis, qualitative investigation of responses and lurid news reports, this book makes a significant research contribution to compliance with international law and international crime and terrorism whilst offering a novel, new approach to the field of political science research. Global Shell Games is an invaluable resource for scholars of international relations, and a fascinating, accessible read for anyone interested in learning about worldwide criminal practice in corporate finance.


With the total cases and economic burden of heart failure continuing to rise, there is an overwhelming need for novel therapies. Several drugs for heart failure have succeeded in preclinical and early-phase clinical trials, but most of them failed to show the real benefit in pivotal clinical trials. Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration recently approved two promising new drugs to treat heart failure: ivabradine and sacubitril/valsartan. Furthermore, some of the newer agents in testing offer the potential for significant progress in addition to these drugs. Patiromer and zirconium cyclosilicate are attractive agents that are expected to prevent hyperkalemia during renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibition, and serelaxin and urodilatin are promising drugs in the treatment of acute heart failure. Future clinical trials with more appropriate study designs, optimal clinical endpoints, and proper patient selection are mandatory to assess the true efficacy of these attractive compounds in clinical practice.


We report on the successful operation of an analogue computer designed to factor numbers. Our device relies solely on the interference of classical light and brings together the field of ultrashort laser pulses with number theory. Indeed, the frequency component of the electric field corresponding to a sequence of appropriately shaped femtosecond pulses is determined by a Gauss sum which allows us to find the factors of a number.


On-site Measurement of the Water-Cementitious Ratio and Heat of Hydration of Delivered Concrete Seyednavid Mardmomen In this study, AASHTO T318-15 was adopted to estimate the water content of fresh concrete mixes and then revised to have better precision. The additional step required sieving out the coarse aggregate after drying the sample in a microwave oven, and it was then used in the calculation of the absorbed water and cementitious material content. Several laboratory batches, as well as onsite water-cementitious (w/cm) ratio tests, were performed on concrete mixes containing ordinary Portland cement, ground granulated blast furnace slag, and Class F fly ash. The results of the experiments indicated that the accuracy of the revised method was increased to an average percentage error of 2.16% from the actual w/cm ratio, while the method based on AASHTO T318 was 6.2%. For cases with high chemical admixtures dosages, washing vinegar was used to wash out the particles around the dried sieved coarse aggregate to calculate the w/cm ratio with a more precise mass for each sample. A simple on-site measurement for the heat of hydration of fresh concrete was conducted using an insulated 1-meter cube. The cube was designed to be well insulated with 8-cm of insulation material on each side. It acted as a semi-adiabatic calorimetry since the heat loss was small. The temperature-time history at the center was used to calculate the adiabatic temperature rise (ATR) of the concrete. An average heat loss characteristic parameter was obtained for each delivered batch using the measured concrete temperature-time history after five days of curing. A finite element model (FEM) was developed to analyze the cube at different ambient environmental conditions. A table with the required insulation for various ambient conditions with a range between -10 to 30 °C ambient temperatures was also provided so that the setup can accurately estimate the ATR using only the temperature measurement at the center of the cube. The w/cm ratio and the heat of hydration test methods were evaluated in three on-site castings in the state of West Virginia. Two of the on-site castings contained Grade 100 ground granulated blast furnace slag. The third on-site casting used Class F fly ash concrete. Several compressive strength cylinders were made and cured at a temperature of 23 °C. The materials used in each onsite casting were also collected to perform compressive strength, adiabatic, and isothermal heat of hydration tests in laboratory conditions. The compressive strength measured on-site was lower than the laboratory batches which indicates a higher w/cm ratio was received on-site. The adiabatic temperature rises calculated from the cube's center temperature compared well with the results from both the adiabatic and isothermal calorimetry. Results show that the on-site temperature measurement using the 1-m cube can be considered as a simple and accurate approach to measure the heat of hydration of a delivered concrete batch.


Films of Fee.79Geez1 with thicknesses of 300 nm were synthesized by ion beam sputtering, and were annealed at temperatures from 200 to 550 "C. The materials were characterized by x-ray diffractometry, Mdssbauer spectrometry, vibrating sample magnetometry, ferromagnetic resonance spectrometry, and electrical resistivity measurements. The as-prepared materials comprised chemically disordered bee crystallites of sizes less than 20 nm, and were found to have a distribution of internal strains. Upon annealing at temperatures of 250 "C! and below, there occurred strain relaxation, some evolution of short range chemical order, and an improvement in soft magnetic properties. The coercive field was a minimum for the sample annealed at 250 "C!. Crystallite growth occurred at higher annealing temperatures, accompanied by a transition in several measured parameters from those of ultrafine grained materials to those typical of polycrystalline materials. This trend can be explained with the random anisotropy model. Miissbauer and magnetization measurements indicated that the Ge atoms behave as magnetic holes. The 57Fe hyperflne magnetic field distribution, and its change duritrg chemical ordering, can be calculated approximately with a model of magnetic response. The large local isomer shifts at 57Fe atoms near Ge atoms suggest that a local depletion of 4s conduction electron density should be incorporated into the model.


Abstract Traditional geographic approaches depict sacred spaces, religion and spirituality as places of stillness and tranquillity, this paper challenges such fixity and instead uses the mobilities lens to analyse the dynamic and fluid nature of contemporary spirituality. It builds on recent work that draws on mobilities and geographies of religion by shifting focus away from the extraordinary journeys of pilgrimage to the ordinary, the mundane and everyday routines and movements; trips for economic, recreational or utilitarian purposes. The findings illustrate the activities that people do when they are on the move that can be related to their personal sense of spirituality and the ways in which religion interweaves in the movements and routines of everyday life and mobilities – from the radio playing in the car to the use of meditation. Often, activities became associated with specific parts of the journey and are threaded together to form 'subjective spiritual geographies' and significant elements of individual spirituality challenging secular pre-conceptions of mobilities time-spaces and characterisation of 'non-places'.


In view of the fact that the kinetic parameters of the β -galactosidase reaction exhibited by wild-type and ω-complemented β -galactosidases (Ullmann et al., 1965) are not significantly different, while their structure could hardly be the same, comparative physical studies of these two types of enzymes have been undertaken (Goldberg, 1969; Goldberg et al., 1969). These studies were performed with pure ω-complemented enzyme extracted from the diploid strain MU366/B9 carrying on the chromosome a nonsense mutation within the ω segment and on the episome a z deletion extending to very near the operator proximal boundary of the genetic ω segment The authors came to the conclusion that, like the wild-type enzyme (Craven et al., 1965) this particular ω-complemented enzyme is a tetramer; its protomer was shown to contain two different polypeptide chains: one of mol wt 110,000 likely to be the acceptor and the other of mol wt 39 000, presumably the ω. These findings led to the conclusions that the region of the gene which lies between the ω barrier (I) and the MU366 mutation is effectively translated into a sequence of amino acids both in the C-terminal part of the acceptor and in the N-terminal part of the ω. This C-terminal part of the acceptor polypeptide chain can be released from the complemented enzyme by a mild proteolytic treatment without loss of β -galactosidase activity. This suggests that the C-terminal part of the acceptor: (a) is not essential for the enzymatic activity of the complete complemented molecule (b) is presumably located...


An Historical and Geographical Study of the Small Towns of Shropshire 1600 to 1830. Ph.D. thesis. Sarah A. Lewis. Leicester University. October 199Ô. The thesis begins with a brief historiographical survey establishing the rationale for research into the role of small towns in the early modem English economy. The spatial dimension of the Shropshire urban system is then analysed employing Christaller central place methodology. Databases for 1797 and 1828 are derived from directory sources and supplemented by information on the transport and market infrastructures and their services to examine centrality, function, connectivity and nodality by hierarchical ranking. The second part of the thesis develops occupational and sectoral classification systems to delineate the economic parameters of the urban system. The sectoral structure of the small towns at the benchmark dates of 1797 and 1828 is analysed and a typology of the urban system is developed from the demographic and economic data. The final part provides case studies of six small towns: Bishops Castle, Bridgnorth, Broseley, Ludlow, Much Wenlock and Oswestry. Benchmark estimates derived from probate inventories, occupational and fiscal data are used to analyse the composition and rate of growth of output by sector, and to create time series from the early seventeenth to the early nineteenth centuries. The extent to which the evidence of the case studies is representative of the urban system as a whole, typologically differentiated, is considered in the conclusion.


Antibiotic Switch therapy is defined by the switch of intravenous antibiotic therapy to oral form. This research aimed to learn about the relationship of switch therapy toward the value of wound healing, lenght of stay and the antibiotic expenditure. The data of this cross sectional study was collected from medical record and by direct investigation to patients for their macroscopis the wound healings value. T-test was used to compared the relationship of the patient wound healings value, lenght of stay and the antibiotic expenditure between the those with and accurate switch therapy and those without it. The result showed that there was no different of wound healing value between those groups of patients (P>0,1). On the other hand, lenght of stay and antibiotic expenditure of the patient with the accurate switch therapy was cuted on the patient with the accurate switch therapy. These indicated that accuracy of switch therapy will proceed a benefit outcome to the patient with appendicitis, especially to there lenght of stay and antibiotic expenditure as well.


Does economic uncertainty promote the implementation of structural reforms? We answer this question using one of the most exhaustive cross-country panel data set on reforms in six major areas and measuring economic uncertainty with stock market volatility. To address endogeneity concerns, we propose various identification strategies, instrumenting uncertainty with world shocks to volatility and with natural disasters, terrorist attacks, political coups and revolutions. Across all specifications, we find that uncertainty has a positive and significant effect on the adoption of reforms. This result is robust to the inclusion of a large number of controls, including political variables, economic variables, crisis indicators, and a host of country, reform and time fixed effects. These findings are broadly consistent with recent models suggesting that uncertainty promotes reforms by mitigating agency problems between policy makers


Many studies of ethnicity focus on the attempt to preserve individual group identity through various cultural media including food. In this paper we focus on the diffusion and assimilation of one ethnic group's signature foods into areas occupied by other groups. The goal is to identify the interval of time when an ethnic food makes the transition from " exotic ethnic other" to " common ethnic American." In this study we focus on Mexican food (or more accurately, Tex-Mex food) in Omaha, Nebraska. We use a combination of U.S. Census data, restaurant listings in Omaha telephone directories, a targeted questionnaire, and interviews with Mexican restaurant owners to examine the growth and spread of Mexican restaurants from historically ethnic Mexican population centers to the mostly non-Mexican portions of the city. We suggest that, after a period of experimentation and eventual acceptance by various European ethnic immigrant groups, the restaurant market in Omaha was prepared for the diffusion of Mexican restaurants (and Tex-Mex foods) sometime between 1965 and 1975. We demonstrate that the growth and spread of Mexican restaurants was not related to Mexican or Hispanic population growth in Omaha. Hence, our data suggest diffusion and assimilation of Mexican foods across various ethnic groups, rather than simple proportionate growth.


An Air Turbo Rocket (ATR) is a propulsion system which combines a turbo jet with a rocket engine. Currently it is being touted as a propulsion system for future missile systems, as these engines have a higher thrust density when compared to other air breathing engines. This paper explores the possibility of modifying the ATR for use in space application as well as during spacecraft re-entry. Such modified ATR's could be used to power space vehicles up to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to dock with the International Space Station (ISS). In addition, thrust reversal techniques on the ATR systems could be used to improve the accuracy of Ballistic Missiles and hypersonic space planes upon Re-entry. Challenges faced would be in this type of air breathing engine would be operating at different atmospheric conditions. This paper will explore an ATR design, which will operate at different modes namely conventional mode, which will be used during below absolute ceiling, and the mission mode, which will be employed during flight in vacuum. Lastly, the reentry mode, which can be used for lessening the entry velocity of a vehicle to reduce the risks associated with reentry. The paper will try to emphasize the advantages of ATR as an affordable launch system for space shuttles and satellites with high maneuverability.


Montane and Long-tailed voles (Microtus montanus and Microtus longicaudus) are notoriously difficult to distinguish through external characteristics and measurements in the field, particularly among juveniles. Being able to accurate identify these species is important, due to their central role in ecosystems (as keystone species) and as indicator species of climate change (due to their high sensitivity to climate change). The present study assessed three methods for distinguishing the two species: cranial (skull-based) and external measurements, the presence of additional skull characteristics, and DNA sequencing through examining 372 specimens in the University of Colorado Natural History Museum collection and 52 specimen from recent collection by the McCain lab (2010-2011). Three external measurements (including total specimen length, tail length, and hind foot length), nine cranial measurements, and four skull characteristics were employed. A subset of the sample population (M. longicaudus, n = 5; M. montanus, n = 17) was verified with genetic methods. Through assessing combinations of external and cranial measurements using discriminant function analysis, I determined which would best identify species regardless of age. Models with only external measurements left many juveniles misclassified (4.6% misclassified), models with only cranial measurements were more accurate (0.5% misclassified), and models with all twelve characters were most accurate (0% misclassified). All specimens were correctly identified using a best-fit model of three measurements (tail length and the breadth of two specific skull bone formations; 0% misclassified). This model correctly classified the remaining 28 juvenile specimens of unknown identity with an average fit of 99.8%.


Accurate wildfire spread prediction is a key element in planning effective ground and aerial operations. Because of the underlying complex dynamic multi-physics processes driving the forest fire phenomena and the high number of parameters involved, finding an analytical solution is a challenging task. Current operational wildfire spread simulators, used by national governmental agencies are FARSITE, PROMETHEUS, PHOENIX RapidFire. These tools are based on empirical models developed and tuned using laboratory and historical wildfire data. This aspect makes the solution provided by these simulators inaccurate over long periods of time. To overcome these limitations, a closed loop architecture, where real time field measurements are fed back into the system, is the most promising solution. In this scenario, the use of an unmanned platform considerably reduces the risk associated with flying a manned aircraft in a low visibility and extremely turbulent air and improves the on-board Electro- Optical (EO) sensor effectiveness by flying at very low altitudes. In this paper a robust fire segmentation algorithm for wildfire front tracking is presented. This algorithm is based on the solution of Partial Differential Equations (PDE) to model a time evolving curve. An efficient implementation of the Level Set method enables the algorithm to fulfil real time requirements. Flight tests over a prescribed burn have been carried out to collect real data about the fire dynamics and to validate the algorithm and to test its robustness.


Using the invention patent technology (patent number ZL2005 1 0131175.7), the impact on environment in ductile iron production was studied. By using the environmentally friendly and adjustable spheroidizing equipment, the spheroidization can proceed in a completely closed state. The smoke with the spheroidization is eliminated just as the production of inoculated cast iron. The pressure in the ladle can be automatically adjusted from 0KPa to 8.62KPa and the absorption rate of elements is improved. Without sacrificing the spheroidizing level and mechanical properties, the amount of added nodularizer can be decreased by 0.2%-0.5%. Saving the costs and protecting the environment.


In this work, double-shelled ZnFe2O4 hollow microspheres were fabricated by a facile self-templated solvothermal method and the interiors could be precisely modulated by varying the reaction rate during the calcination process. More importantly, the formation mechanism of hollow structures with complex interior architectures could be illustrated based on the interface layer effect of the adhesion and contraction forces. When evaluated as catalytic materials for degradation of gaseous o-dichlorobenzene, the as-synthesized double-shelled ZnFe2O4 hollow structures showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance because of higher surface area (126.7 m2 g−1) and more effective light absorption (multiple scattering for double-shelled architectures).


In changing environments, phenotypic traits are shaped by numerous agents of selection. The optimal phenotypic value maximizing the fitness of an individual thus varies through time and space with various environmental covariates. Selection may differ between different life‐cycle stages and act on correlated traits inducing changes in the distribution of several traits simultaneously. Despite increasing interests in environmental sensitivity of phenotypic selection, estimating varying selective optima on various traits throughout the life cycle, while considering (a)biotic factors as potential selective agents has remained challenging. Here, we provide a statistical model to measure varying selective optima from longitudinal data. We apply our approach to analyze environmental sensitivity of phenotypic selection on egg‐laying date and clutch size throughout the life cycle of a white‐throated dipper population. We show the presence of a joint optimal phenotype that varies over the 35‐year period, being dependent on altitude and temperature. We also find that optimal laying date is density‐dependent, with high population density favoring earlier laying dates. By providing a flexible approach, widely applicable to free‐ranging populations for which long‐term data on individual phenotypes, fitness, and environmental factors are available, our study improves the understanding of phenotypic selection in varying environments.


In this article I reflect upon the construction of socio-political and symbolical marginalization of the dwellers of the favelas in Rio de Janeiro. I explore the demonization of favelas and the particular labelling of favelas' youngsters as the usual suspects and the face of fear in the city. I argue that addressing youngsters generically as 'drug dealers' follows the systematic historical devaluation and humiliation of the dwellers of the favelas in the public arena. Thereby I want to show the nature of criminalization of poverty in Rio, and its consequences on youngsters' life experiences in the city. Youngsters from favelas have been transformed into the main target of strategies of social control and spatial enclosure. Such processes unfold in a core period for Brazilian society and involve transformations in Brazilian socio-political and spatial context, where the negative effects of neoliberal agenda challenge the consolidation of democracy and social justice. This article is based on empirical research in Brazilian favelas with youngsters living under a socio-symbolical shadow (Fernandes, 2009, 2013a/b) and involved in drug trafficking (Fernandes and Rodriguez, 2009; Silva et al, 2009). It is also based on extensive reflection on concepts and theories that enable new representations on favelas and by extension, new routes for public policies addressed for marginalised groups.


Background: Chemosensory disorders associated with COVID-19 have been widely discussed during the pandemic. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the risk factors for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in patients with COVID-19. Methods: Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched for studies published between December 1, 2019, and August 31, 2021. We selected random-effects model or fixed-effects model to pool data based on heterogeneity. The results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) or standard-ized mean differences (SMDs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was reported as I 2 . Results: Twenty-six studies with a total of 13,813 patients were included. The pooled data indicated that sex (OR 1.47; 95% CI 0.93–2.31), age (SMD − 5.80; 95% CI − 13.35 to 1.75), smoking (OR 2.04; 95% CI 0.72– 5.79), and comorbidity (OR 1.21; 95% CI 0.58–2.53) of patients with COVID-19 had no effect on gustatory dysfunction. Olfactory dysfunction was more likely to occur in older patients with COVID-19 (SMD, − 5.22; 95% CI, − 8.28 to − 2.16). Patients with COVID-19 with nasal congestion (OR 3.41; 95% CI 2.30–5.06) and rhinorrhea (OR 2.35; 95% CI 1.60–3.45) were more prone to olfactory dysfunction. Conclusion: These findings emphasize that older patients with COVID-19 are more likely to experience ol- factory dysfunction. Symptoms of nasal congestion and rhinorrhea may affect the recognition of olfactory dysfunction. © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )


We reported the proton conductivities of a series of oxidized fullerenes (fullerenols) having varied polarity and hydrophilicity. The samples were generated from the oxidation of fullerenes by using different oxidation techniques and oxidizing agents. XPS, IR and TGA data confirmed the successful oxidation of fullerenes. Electrochemical impedance showed that fullerenols can support proton conductivity. At room temperature and 90% RH, a maximum proton conductivity of 1.4 × 10−2 S cm−1 was observed in fullerenols obtained from the oxidation of fullerene (C60) by caustic soda. We expect the use of fullerenols as solid electrolytes in fuel cells, sensors, chemical filters and so on.


Summary In 1971 under half of London's young people, then living with their parents, lived in households that owned their homes, while well over half lived in rented housing. By 1991, now no longer living with their parents, less than a quarter of these young people were tenants. This paper identifies the components of that intergenerational tenure mobility, distinguishing between home ownership in more, and less, 'desirable' wards, and quantifies the role of migration in mediating the overall changes in Londoner's housing market status between 1971 and 1991. It analyses the moderating factors contributing to housing status mobility, such as labour market mobility and household type, and assesses the differential impact of these processes on men and women. ONS Longitudinal Study data for the period 1971–91 are analysed. Findings are that the aggregate changes concealed a range of housing careers. In particular, in-migrants fared less well in the London housing market than in its labour market.


In the past twenty years, a new generation of Chinese architects, many of whom have carved out an independent practice, have challenged the dominant ideology of architecture in China by offering an alternative experience, visual, tactile, and spatial.1 Since 2000 their exploratory practices, described as experimental architecture ( shiyan jianzhu ) by architectural critics, have been covered extensively in the Tongji University–based journal Time + Architecture ( Shidai Jianzhu ).

This article sketches the conditions that fostered the emergence of experimental architecture in the 1990s and the role that Time + Architecture played in presenting experimental architecture in the early 2000s. I focus on two special issues of the journal in which editors and contributors collectively formulated a critical ideology of experimental architecture. These special issues demonstrated both a critical attitude toward architecture rooted in the Beaux-Arts tradition and an alternative publishing practice focused on emerging independent architectural practitioners rather than well-established figures inside the state system.

Experimental architecture emerged along with the discourse of experimental art ( shiyan yishu ). Experimental art in China during the 1980s cannot be described either as "unofficial" or as "avant-garde," because, as Wu Hung remarked, the first term exaggerates the political orientation of this art, and the second, its artistic radicalism.2 The term "experimental architecture" first appeared in the symposium "Dialogue between South and North: Young Chinese Architects and Artists" ( Nanbei Duihua: 5.18 Zhongguo Qingnian Jianzhushi he Yishujia Xueshu Taolunhui ), held 18 May 1996 in Guangzhou, where architects, artists, critics, and academics discussed the possibility of experimental architecture in China. That same year the journal Architect ( Jianzhushi ) published a review article on this event and on projects by emerging architects (Figure 1).3 Wang Mingxian, the deputy editor in chief of the journal Architect , and Shi Jian, an independent architectural critic, in their key …


A quantitative model for an opponent-colors theory of vision is presented that is based on the CIE color mixture data for the standard observer. The model is used to account for spectral brightness, saturation, and hue and some of their associated psychophysical functions in both normal and dichromatic vision. Special attention is given to an account of the Bezold-Brucke hue shift, and to changes in saturation and wavelength discrimination with changes in stimulus luminance.


Migration through constrictions can clearly rupture nuclei and mis-localize nuclear proteins but damage to DNA remains uncertain as does any effect on cell cycle. Here, myosin-II inhibition rescues rupture and partially rescues the DNA damage marker γH2AX, but an apparent delay in cell cycle is unaffected. Co-overexpression of multiple DNA repair factors and antioxidant inhibition of break formation also have partial effects, independent of rupture. However, there seems to be a bimodal dependence of cell cycle on DNA damage. Migration through custom-etched pores yields the same bimodal, with ~4-μm pores causing intermediate levels of damage and cell cycle delay. Micronuclei (generated in faulty division) of the smallest diameter appear similar to ruptured nuclei, with high DNA damage and entry of chromatin-binding cGAS (cyclic-GMP-AMP-synthase) from cytoplasm but low repair factor levels. Increased genomic variation after constricted migration is quantified in expanding clones and is consistent with (mis)repair of excess DNA damage and subsequent proliferation.


The demand for food, feed, fibre and fuel has increased in Uganda over the past 50 years due to population growth. Recurring extreme climate events such as drought and flooding, in combination with large-scale land degradation, have led to declining crop yields. Lack of equipment, money and socio-economic issues has contributed to low yields. However, the soils in Uganda have the potential to produce much higher yields than they do today.
This study, which was carried out in April-June 2013 in Kkingo District, south-east Uganda, examined the effects of agroforestry on yield of cooking bananas in small-holder farming systems. Six farms practising agroforestry and six farms with no agroforestry, which were chosen in cooperation with the NGO Vi Agroforestry, were compared. On each farm, semi-structured interviews and seasonal interviews were held and the crops cultivated were recorded, particularly cooking bananas in mixed cropping systems. This study was run in parallel and in cooperation with two other studies, one on soil carbon stocks and one on macrofauna, and farms and sampling sites were chosen to fit all three studies.
The results showed significantly increased yield of cooking bananas in the agroforestry systems. The farms which used organic manure (i.e. the agroforestry farms) also had significantly higher yields of cooking bananas. Agroforestry gave a more diverse cropping system than the non-agroforestry system, which resulted in a higher standard of living and more self-sufficient households on agroforestry farms. Agroforestry was no more time-consuming than the non-agroforestry system. In fact, in the long run agroforestry involved less heavy work. One of the most important factors for success in agroforestry was the farmer's knowledge and dedication to managing the farm and taking advantage of all available resources.


The search for biomarkers that can help to establish an early diagnosis and prognosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is of potential interest. VEGF polymorphisms have been implicated in the development of several lung disorders. Consequently, we assessed, for the first time, the role of VEGF polymorphisms in the susceptibility and severity of ILD. A total of 436 Caucasian ILD patients (244 with idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) and 192 with non-IIP) and 536 ethnically-matched healthy controls were genotyped for VEGF rs833061, rs1570360, rs2010963, rs3025020, and rs3025039 polymorphisms by TaqMan assays. Pulmonary function tests were collected from all the patients. VEGF serum levels were determined by ELISA in a subgroup of patients. No VEGF genotype, allele, carrier, or haplotype differences were found between ILD patients and controls as well as between IIP and non-IIP patients. However, an association of rs1570360 with IIP in women and also with lung function in IIP patients was found. None of the VEGF polymorphisms were associated with VEGF levels. In conclusion, our results suggest that VEGF does not seem to play a relevant role in ILD, although rs1570360 may influence the severity of ILD in women and a worse outcome in IIP patients.


In this thesis, I examine both applied and theoretical issues in network source coding.

The applied results focus on the construction of locally rate-distortion-optimal vector quantizers for networks. I extend an existing vector quantizer design algorithm for arbitrary network topologies [1] to allow for the use of side information at the decoder and for the presence of channel errors. I show how to implement the algorithm and use it to design codes for several different systems. The implementation treats both fixed-rate and variable-rate quantizer design and includes a discussion of convergence and complexity. Experimental results for several different systems demonstrate in practice some of the potential performance benefits (in terms of rate, distortion, and functionality) of incorporating a network's topology into the design of its data compression system.

The theoretical work covers several topics. Firstly, for a system with some side information known at both the encoder and the decoder, and some known only at the decoder, I derive the rate-distortion function and evaluate it for binary symmetric and Gaussian sources. I then apply the results for binary sources in evaluating the binary symmetric rate-distortion function for a system where the presence of side information at the decoder is unreliable. Previously, only upper and lower bounds were known for that problem. Secondly, I address with an example the question of whether feedback from a decoder to an encoder ever enlarges the achievable rate region for lossless network source coding of memoryless sources. Thirdly, I show how cutset methods can yield quick and simple rate-distortion converses for any source coding network. Finally, I present rate-distortion results for two different broadcast source coding systems.


While cloud computing adoption is on the rise, barriers continue to play a critical role in delaying the progress of some cloud computing adoption efforts. In 2010 the United States federal government launched the 'Cloud First' policy which requires government agencies to consider the adoption of cloud computing when the solution is secure, reliable and cost effective (Kundra, 2010). Unfortunately, cloud computing adoption among federal agencies has been sluggish. This study investigates pressures asserted to facilitate cloud computing adoption. Although a vast amount of literature exists, very few studies empirically investigate cloud computing adoption from an institutional perspective in concert with top management support. This study aims to fill the gap where the literature is lacking concerning the adoption of cloud computing by federal agencies.


We have obtained Er-doped ZnO thin film in a micropattern of reverse trapezoids processed on Si substrate by sputtering and ultrafine polishing techniques. Near-infrared light emission was detected successfully from the thin film filling a single micropit with 10 μm square. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation showed epitaxial growth of ZnO crystals along the curvature of the micropit.


NU, the largest social and religious organization in Indonesia, has undergone many changes since its very inception decades ago. But the essence of the organization remains the same, namely its theological doctrine and ?ideological? inclination toward the Sunna. This paper tries to speak of the struggle of NU in this changing era to remain as it is. It traces the theological genealogy of the organization, and how this theology has been transformed from time to time to meet the demands of Indonesian setting. Here NU is understood as a dynamic religious organization capable of translating certain theology and ideology into a totally different look. Hence, although it was originated in the theology of al-Asy?ariyyah and al-Maturidiyah, NU was not at all representing any of these two Middle Eastern theologies. Unlike the two, NU emphasizes theoretically the idea of justice, moderation, and tolerance while practically upholding the adaptive and adoptive attitude toward local customs and traditions.


This paper presents the results of a laboratory study of the perpendicular impingement of circular turbulent jets on rough walls placed at large impingement distances. The jet of air, with velocity U 0 of 45-90 m/s and diameter d at the nozzle of either 6.4 or 12.7 mm, impinged on a wall with a roughness k s of 1.73, 8.23, or 15.18 mm. Measurements were taken of the boundary shear stresses created by the jet, as well as velocity profiles in the wall jet region. The maximum shear stress on the wall, expressed in the dimensionless parameter {τ0m(H/d)2/ρU 2 0, dépends on the relative roughness k s/H and is about 2.5-5 times as large as the value for smooth walls. The boundary shear stress increases to a maximum τ0m at a radial distance from the jet centerline r of about 0.12 H, where H is the height of the jet above the boundary, and decreases as r increases further. This is shifted slightly toward the jet centerline as compared to the jet impinging on a smooth wall. In the wall jet region, the boundary shear stress varies as 1 /r 2. The velocity distribution in the wall jet region was found to be similar.